Hand tool for separating plank boards



Feb. 2, 1965 A. RussAc ETAL 3,168,285

HAND TOOL FOR SEPARATING PLANK BOARDS Filed Feb. 11, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 h ll l l lll l 1 {9| ll 1 ll l lllh l l lmh.

INVENTQR s ANDREW RUSSAC LOUIS s. RUSSAC 'BY I v ATTORNEY Feb. 2, 1965 I A. RussAc ETAL HAND TOOL. FOR SEPARATING PLANK BOARDS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 11, 1963 ILl C M A Y 0 T 5 E m M w w DU NO AL Feb. 2, 19,65 A. RUSSAC ETAL HAND TOOL FOR SEPARATING PLANK BOARDS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 11, 1963 INVENTORS ANDREW RUSSAC LOUIS S. RUSSAC United States Patent Office 3,168,285 Patented Feb. 2, 1965 3 168 285 HAND TOOL FOR sEfiARkrING PLANK BOARDS Andrew S. Russac, 281 Marguerite Ave., and Louis S. Russac, 490 Louis Ave., both of South Floral Park,

Filed Feb. 11, 1963, Ser. No. 257,396 2 Claims. (Cl. 254131) This invention relates to a manually operated hand tool of the lever type for use in prying oif boards, planks and other wooden structural elements nailed to beams and the like in a manner to avoid damaging the structural elements j and the supporting beams to permit the structural elements to be used over again.

Broadly, the invention comprises a hand tool of the lever type having a cast iron multi-sided head from which projects laterally and substantially longitudinally thereof a pair of spaced prying arms or prongs.

A general object of the present invention is to provide a hand tool of the lever type for quick, easy and safe removal of boards or other wooden structural elements on side walls, floors, roofs and the like from the beams, joists,

plane so that the tool is rendered adaptable for use in outof-the-way or cramped places.

A further object is to provide a tool of this kind that is rugged and simple in construction and that can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claims in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a hand tool embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view thereof, the handle being shown broken away.

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view thereof.

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view through the center of the head of the tool, the handle being shown in dotdash lines.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view thereof showing one step in the operation of the tool in prying a board off of a beam, the handle being shown broken away.

FIG. 6 is a similar view showing another step.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the tool showing another step in the operation of the tool preparatory to prying off a board, when the boards are in closely spaced relation.

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 4 of a modified form of tool head.

Referring in greater detail to the drawings, in FIG. 1 a tool embodying the invention is shown and designated generally by the reference numeral 10. The tool 10 includes a head 12 and an elongated metal handle 14 round in cross section.

The head 12 has a massive one-piece solid metal body 16 cast of iron, steel or other suitable material. The body is multi-sided in shape with opposed sides 18 and 20 and opposed ends 22 and 24. The side 20 is fiat, straight and truly vertical. The end 22 has a flat face 26 truly horizontal, and the face 28 of the end 24 slants at an angle to the horizontal of the order of 30'.

On one side, the side 20, the body is formed with a pair omitted.

of spaced prying arms or prongs 30,30 providing a space 31 therebetween. Each arm or prong is angular in shape having a laterally extending portion 32 and a portion 34 extending perpendicularly to the lateral portion and substantially parallel to side 20. The operating edge of the arm or prong is constituted by the bottom end edge 36 of lateral portion 32 adjacent the end 22 of the body which is cut at an acute angle to the horizontal, of the order of 30, the adjacent side edge 38 of the portion 34 in the vicinity of its juncture with edge 36 of portion 30 is cut at an acute angle to the vertical of the order of 30, and the edge 40.

Each arm or prong 30 at its opposite edge is' substantially horizontal as indicated at 42 and continues into a curved edge portion 44 which in turn continues into a slanting edge portion 46, terminating in aslightly curved extreme end edge 50 at the free end of the arm or prong, the extreme end edge 50 curving inwardly toward edge 40 and with the edge 40 defining a sharp end edge 52.

On the other side of the body, the side 18, the body is formed with an enlargement 54, above its midway, with a face 56 slanting downwardly from'the top and outwardly at an angle to the side 18 of the order of 30; The bottom end of the face 56 merges with a face portion 58 curving inwardly and merging into the side 18.

One end of the body, the end 22 as viewed in FIG. 1, is formed with a central socket opening 60, and a similar socket opening 62 is formed in the enlargement 54 at the center of the face 56. The socket openings are spaced apart circumferentially. Either socket opening is adapted to receive and to retain frictionally and selectively the handle 14 for manipulating the tool.

A pair of pointed fingers or prongs 64 may be formed on the side 18 of the body. Each prong 64 has a tapered body 66 with slightly curved edges 68 and terminates in'a 'flat sharp'end edge 70. The prongs 64 extend in a direction opposite to the direction of the arms'or prongs 30. A. tool, however, without the prongs 64 also has utility, such as the modified form of tool 10' shown in FIG. 8, which is similar to tool 10 except the prongs 64 are The tool 10 is used for prying boards B or the like off of beams R or the like, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. In removing boards B from beams R or the like on side walls and on roofs, the operation starts at the top so that the operator always has a firm footing when working. In removing boards from floors, the operation starts at the farthermost board.

In use, the head 12 of the tool is placed on the top long edge of the beam R on the side wall, roof, or floor, with the body of the head spanning the beam and with the arms or prongs 30, 30 extending inwardly along the inner surface of the board. A pull on the handle 14 will cause the body of the head to ride on the slanting edges 40 of the arms or prongs inwardly and downwardly and continued pulling will cause the adjacent edge of the board to be received in the space or notch defined by the angular edges 36, 38 and side wall 20. The body of the head and the handle 14 will now be slanting at an angle of approximately 40 to the vertical. Upon lifting the handle or turning the handle counterclockwise or in the direction of the arrow as shown in FIG. 6, around the edge 45 as a fulcrum point, the long edge 40 of the arms or prongs 30, 30 will engage the inner surface of the board B and continued turning in the same direction around the fulcrum point 45 will lift the board B completely ofi of the beam as shown in FIG. 6.

When removing boards B from beams R on a floor as described above, a point in the operation might be reached where the handle 14 when seated in socket opening 60 is too long, or it might happen that an article of furniture is in the way, or the operator might find himself in a tight or cramped positions/hereby the handle 14 in socket opening 60 is in the way; In such emergencies; it is only necessary to remove the handle'from socket opening 60 and place the handle in the socket opening 62 as shown in FIG. 4, whereby the prongs become extensions or prolongations of the handle. Withthe partsthus positioned, thehead is placed'on the top edge of the floor beam R and the prongs '30, 30 pushed under the inner surface of the floor board. Continued pushing will .position the edge of the board B in the notch defined by the edges 36,, 38 and side 20 of the head, and position the edge 45 of the head against the top edge of the beam R thereby positioning said edge to serve as a fulcrum and positioning the handle 14 at an angle of approximately 40 to the horizontal. With the handle in this position, downward pressure on the handle 14 by the operator causes the head to move around the fulcrum point 45 carrying the prongs 30, 30 upwardly prying the board completely oil of the beam.

'The fingers or prongs 64 have utility in starting removal operations, that is, the uppermost board B on a wall or roof, or the farthermost board B'on a floor, or an intermediate board B shown in FIG. 5, might be initially lifted slightly along its long edge by inserting the pointed ends 70 of the prongs 64 under said edge and through the space C, and raising the handle 14 .in the direction of the arrow as shown in FIG. 7, whereby the engaged edge will be lifted sufliciently to insert the longer prongs 30, 30 thereserted under the edge of the shingle and upon turning of t the handle the shingle will readily be pried oif. The tool, .accordingly, has special utility for fire departments.

While we have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of our invention, it is to be understood that we do not limit ourselves to the precise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention 'as defined in the appended claims. 7 I

having thus described our invention, what we claim/as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is': a a

1. A hand-prying tool comprising a solidmulti-si'ded metal body having a pair of spaced prongs, each of said prongs having a first portion extending laterally outwardly from one side of the body; each prong having a second portion extending laterally from said first portion at a slight angle to said one side of the body, said first and second portions of said. prongs and said body forming aligned notches defined by said one side of the body and the adjacent edges of the laterally extending portions, said body having a firsttsocket opening at said one end thereof, an enlargement on the body on the other side thereof'adjacent the other end of the body, said enlargement having a second socket opening, the axis of said latter opening disposed at an angle of to the axis of the socket opening in the end of the body, said socket openings adapted to receive and to retain selectively a handle for manipulating the tool, and means on said other end defining fulcrum means for the tool.

. 2. A hand-prying tool comprising a solid niulti-sided metal body having a pair of spaced prongs, each of said prongs having a first portion extending laterally outwardly from one side of the body, each prong having a second portion extending laterally from said first portion at a slight angle to said one side of the body, said first and second portions of said prongs and said body forming aligned notches definedby said one side of the body and the adjacent edges of the laterally extending portions, said body having a first socket opening at said one end thereof, an enlargement on the body on the other side thereof adjacent the other end of the body, said enlargement having a second socket opening, the axis (if said latter opening disposed at an angle of 120 to the axis of the socket opening in the end of the body, said socket openings adapted to receive and to retain selectively a handle for manipulating the tool, and means on said other end defining fulcrum means for the tool.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 841,050 1/07 Robert 254131 1,375,751 4/21 Grannis 254-131 1,389,820. 9/21 Downey 254-131 1,793,060 2/31 Clements 254-131 WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner. MILTON s1 MEHR, Examiner. 

1. A HAND-PRYING TOOL COMPRISING A SOLID MULTI-SIDED METAL BODY HAVING A PAIR OF SPACED PRONGS, EACH OF SAID PRONGS HAVING A FIRST PORTION EXTENDING LATERALLY OUTWARDLY FROM ONE SIDE OF THE BODY, EACH PRONG HAVING A SECOND PORTION EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM SAID FIRST PORTION AT A SLIGHT ANGLE TO SAID ONE SIDE OF THE BODY, SAID FIRST AND SECOND PORTIONS OF SAID PRONGS AND SAID BODY FORMING ALIGNED NOTCHES DEFINED BY SAID ONE SIDE OF THE BODY THE ADJACENT EDGES OF THE LATERALLY EXTENDING PORTIONS, SAID BODY HAVING A FIRST SOCKET OPENING AT SAID ONE END 